


Your Hands in Mine

by royalchttphn



Series: Inktober 2019 Prompts - Reddie [8]
Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Crying, Death from Old Age, Kisses, M/M, hospital visits, its soft i promise, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-08
Updated: 2019-10-08
Packaged: 2020-11-27 20:49:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20954693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/royalchttphn/pseuds/royalchttphn
Summary: “I can’t wait to see them again.”Inktober 2019 Day 8: Frail





	Your Hands in Mine

**Author's Note:**

> i cried while writing this but its still a steaming pile of shit

Every waking moment in the entire month before Eddie died, Richie sat either in the hospital waiting room until visiting hours opened or in Eddie’s room, clutching his husband’s veiny hand and talking about whatever came to his mind until a nurse politely informed him he had to leave.

As much as they could, Lucy, Oliver and Charlotte visited. Sometimes, their Aunt Bev and Uncles Ben, Bill, and Mike would visit, too and those nights were spent with laughter and banter and so much love. Enough that the family could forget why they were in the hospital for a few hours.

One night when the three kids entered the room, they went completely unnoticed. Usually their fathers would greet them on their arrival and cut short whatever quiet conversation they had been having, but this time it didn’t seem to matter. It made Lucy’s gut curl, like something was wrong - more wrong than before.

“I think it’s time, Richie,” Eddie said as Oliver pushed open the door for his sisters, and he felt the air punch out of his chest.

Richie whipped his head up from where it had been lying on the bed. “What?”

Charlotte heard his tears before she saw them and didn’t fight the urge she had to take her siblings’ hands in her own. They watched anxiously, quietly as the conversation progressed.

“I’m tired, Richie.” Eddie said it softly. There was resignation in his voice, but comfort, too, as he said, “I dreamt of Stanley.”

Lucy quirked her brow at her younger siblings and mouthed, “The dog?”

Richie began sobbing in earnest and it the children in one collective swipe that Eddie meant their Uncle Stanley. The one that died before their dad’s had gotten married. Oliver put his head on Charlotte’s shoulder.

“He was young,” Eddie continued.

“From that summer.” Richie said it as if he knew. As if he had been in Eddie’s dream with him. Lucy hollowly felt that she wouldn’t be surprised if they dreamt together.

Eddie nodded, coughing.

“I can’t believe we’ve been married since we met and you’re just now going to run off with Stanley,” Richie joked, but he was still crying.

“He said he’s missed us for so long, even when he couldn’t remember who he was, and that he can’t wait for us to be together again. All seven of us. And he said it won’t be long and that he’s sorry.”

This brought Richie to full sobs, and Eddie started crying with him.

Quietly, the door opened to reveal a nurse. Charlotte jumped when she spoke, not realizing she had entered the room and having forgotten entirely they were in a hospital.

“Mr. Tozier,” the nurse greeted. “I’m afraid visiting hours are over. Your husband is very frail, and--”

“He’s not frail,” Richie muttered, back hunched, face wet. “Don’t fucking call him that.”

“Richie!” Eddie admonished, but there was a distinct lack of energy that made Lucy’s heart ache. “You know she doesn’t mean it like--”

“I know,” Richie sighed. “I just--”

“I know.”

Lucy sometimes marvelled at how in sync the pair were, like they could read the other’s mind. It had been like that ever since she could remember, and she has memories of herself and her two little siblings as children conducting experiments to see if the three of them had those same powers.

“I love you, Eddie. So much,” Richie said.

“I love you too, Richie.” Eddie smiled, comforting, eyes only for Richie. “See you soon.”

After a beat, Richie stood, pressed a kiss into Eddie’s wispy hair and then one on his mouth, and let himself be ushered out by his children.

Eddie died that night.

Aunt Bev died the following month, followed closely by Uncle Ben. Three months after, Uncle Mike. Two months later, Uncle Bill.

The last image of Richie that his children had was him smiling to tears in a hospital bed a little over half a year later.

His last words, as was confirmed to a tearful Lucy and then relayed to her brother and sister, were, “I can’t wait to see them again.”


End file.
